Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Kelon Von Dukes, 22, a previously convicted felon residing in the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 30 months in prison in connection with his unlawful possession of a loaded Sig Sauer 9mm pistol, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
AMONDA MENDEZ, also known as “M-Dot” and “Dot,” 35, of Stamford, pleaded guilty yesterday in New Haven federal court to a narcotics trafficking offense and admitted that she violated the conditions of her supervised release from a prior federal conviction.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – United States District Judge Barry W. Ashe sentenced JULIO VALERIO-SENTENO (“VALERIO-SENTENO”), age 40, to time served after having pled guilty today to illegal re-entry of a removed alien, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a), announced United States Attorney David I. Courcelle. The Court also sentenced VALERIO-SENTENO to one (1) year of supervised release and ordered him to pay a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Today, a North Carolina man was sentenced to 121 months in prison and three years of supervised release for running a seven-year scheme where he victimized millions of elderly Americans by selling their personal information to Jamaican lottery fraud scammers. He was also ordered to pay forfeiture in the amount of $5,214,688.48.
According to court documents, Troy Murray, 57, of Hickory, North Carolina, devised a scheme where he organized, maintained, and sold lists containing the names, phone numbers, physical addresses, and, in some cases, ages and email addresses, of elderly Americans to individuals in Jamaica involved in lottery fraud schemes. From 2016 to 2023, Murray sold these lists to Jamaican scammers, who perpetrated lottery fraud on elderly American consumers, earning Murray hundreds of thousands of dollars each year.
Murray was a prolific and well-known lead list broker for Jamaican scammers. To complete the transactions, scammers would typically call email, or text Murray for a list of names. Murray then provided a price per list, typically $500, for 100 to 300 names. Initially, Murray instructed scammers to provide payment via wire transfer; however, after multiple monetary wire transmission services blocked him from using their services, he instructed scammers to send him pre-paid gift cards to pay for the lists instead. Murray’s list broker service was so well known in Jamaica that that his pseudonym, “Steve Dixon,” was referenced by a Jamaican musical artist in a 2022 song lyric.
After receiving payment from the Jamaican scammers, Murray used the funds to purchase farm equipment, vehicles, and collectibles like bars and coins made of precious metals. Murray also sent money he made from the scheme to one of his sons to purchase personal property and pay for his business and living expenses.
During the scheme, Murray sent at least 22,000 lead lists to scammers. These lists contained the names and personal information of over seven million elderly Americans and garnered Murray over $5.2 million. Victim losses exceeded $9.5 million.
In January 2026, Murray pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division made the announcement.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case.
Senior Litigation Counsel David Sullivan and Trial Attorney Ryan Norman of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury and Assault by Strangulation and Suffocation. The sentencing took place on May 22, 2026.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Rapid City, South Dakota, woman convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person. The sentencing took place on May 26, 2026.
Source: United States Army
PRESIDIO OF MONTEREY, Calif. (May 27, 2026) — Members of the Presidio of Monterey military community participated in the Bureau of Land Management’s Freedom 250 commemorative event at Fort Ord National Monument on May 23. The event honored retired Sgt. 1st Class Allan MacDonald, a decorated cavalry veteran whose lifelong devotion to Fort Ord’s mounted Army heritage left a lasting mark on the Monterey Peninsula.
Hosted by the Bureau of Land Management near the gravesite of MacDonald’s horse, Comanche, the ceremony served as California’s featured BLM Freedom 250 event, part of a nationwide initiative recognizing the nation’s 250th anniversary. Held during Memorial Day weekend, the event brought together community members, military representatives and MacDonald’s family to reflect on service, sacrifice and the Army’s enduring connection to the region.
“Former bombing ranges and military training grounds now support one of the largest remaining expanses of coastal maritime chaparral on this stretch of California’s coast,” said Zach Ormsby, BLM central coast field manager. “What once prepared Americans for war now welcomes Americans in peace.”
The event included support from the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center Joint Service Color Guard and historical remarks from command historian Cameron Binkley, who connected MacDonald’s story to Fort Ord’s cavalry heritage and the Army’s transition from horse-powered to mechanized warfare.
Binkley described MacDonald as a bridge between two eras of Army history. MacDonald enlisted in the Army in 1938 at age 17 and served with the 11th Cavalry Blackhorse Regiment during a career that spanned World War II, Korea and Vietnam. He earned two Purple Hearts and a Bronze Star and remained devoted to cavalry traditions long after horses disappeared from military service.
“Keeping the tradition alive,” Binkley said, referencing the motto of the 11th Cavalry Regiment. “Today, we do exactly that.”
Following his retirement from military service, MacDonald became a familiar figure at ceremonies, parades and community events throughout the Monterey Bay region. Often dressed in his cavalry uniform and riding his white Mustang, Comanche, he helped preserve the memory of Fort Ord’s mounted Army heritage for new generations until his death in 2016.
Following the ceremony, officials unveiled a new interpretive marquee honoring MacDonald’s life and legacy near Comanche’s gravesite. The display helps visitors understand the connection between the gravesite, nearby historic landmarks and the cavalry traditions that once shaped military life on the Monterey Peninsula.
Members of MacDonald’s family attended the unveiling, including his daughter, Jane Minglana, who accepted commemorative gifts presented in her father’s memory.
“My dad would really be proud of this,” Minglana said. “He wanted to live to be 100 and couldn’t make it.”
The ceremony served as a reminder that the Army’s legacy on the Monterey Peninsula lives on not only through history and memorials, but through the continued partnership between the military community and the region it serves.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
OXFORD – As part of America’s 250th birthday celebration, Freedom 250, U.S. Attorneys’ Offices around the country are honoring America by spearheading a gift-in-kind charity drive for their staff to participate in to benefit the community. In the Northern District of Mississippi, U.S. Attorney Scott Leary announced their office held a food drive for the local food pantry.
Source: United States Army
FORT LEAVENWORTH, Kansas – Military Professionals now have instant access to all Army branch journals through the new Line of Departure app, which currently delivers more than 1,200 professional military articles directly to the field.
Army University Press launched the app on May 12, 2026, expanding the reach of their Line of Departure website that previously consolidated the Army’s branch journals into a single, searchable interface. The new mobile version enhances the user experience by letting readers receive article alerts, build custom bookshelves, and share content with others.
Maj. Nate Green, a Harding Fellow for Armor Magazine, noted that the app’s ease of use directly meets reader needs on the go. “I am a big fan of the mobile app and how it brings resources to readers. In less than three clicks, I can be reading an article from a professional bulletin,” Green said.
Putting professional discourse and leadership lessons learned directly in Soldiers’ hands supports the Army’s mandate to reinvigorate professional writing. Lt. Gen. Jim Isenhower, commanding general of the U.S. Army Combined Arms Command, emphasized the importance of effective writing earlier this year, calling it “a critical aspect of our Army profession.”
“Modernization is one of the key initiatives of the Line of Departure — to help all of the branch journals have a more modern capacity to provide lessons learned and share their content with Soldiers across the Army,” said Michael Serravo, director of Line of Departure.
The mobile app builds upon a highly successful web foundation. Since its launch in October 2024, the centralized Line of Departure platform has acted as a force multiplier and an “equalizer” for smaller journal teams with minimal staffing. Website usage has consistently grown, reaching more than 50,000 views and 19,000 new visitors in April 2026 alone.
By pushing this established platform to mobile devices, the Army is breaking down branch silos. Capt. Garett Pyle, Harding Fellow at the Army Sustainment Bulletin, noted that the centralized system provides an avenue to cross-communicate. “Now, I can easily view articles from other branches that I would otherwise never see. We are sharing insights and overall increasing Army lethality through this process,” Pyle said.
Sgt. 1st Class Marcel Blood, Harding Project deputy director and Ordnance noncommissioned officer, stressed the universal value of this information flow for the Total Force. “I can’t stress enough that there is something in the journals for everyone. Whether you’re on division staff and are trying to solve problems for the CG, or a Soldier learning to use a drone for the first time, there are articles published by your Soldiers, peers, and leaders that can help you,” he said.
Recognizing these benefits, Master Sgt. Travis Ragle, the co-editor in chief of the Special Warfare Journal, expects the mobile app to drive exponential growth in readership as awareness builds.
“The broader reach sparks discourse and coordination among branches, as well as assists in special operations recruitment through the amplified exposure Line of Departure provides,” Ragle said.
Readers can expect publication of approximately eight articles per branch journal each month.
Download the Line of Departure App on your mobile device’s app store.
About Army University Press and Line of Departure
Army University Press serves as the U.S. Army’s premier multimedia organization, functioning as the entry point for rigorous tactical analysis, doctrinal debate, and discussion on emerging topics vital to national defense.
Line of Departure, in collaboration with the Harding Project, is leading the Army’s effort to modernize branch journals and reinvigorate professional military writing as part of the service’s broader transformation initiative.
• Visit the AUP website to learn more about its educational portfolio.
• Visit Line of Departure to access all Army branch journals in one central location and find information on getting published.
(Note: This article references “Isenhower: Writing ‘Critical’ to Army Profession” which can be found here.)
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
On Wednesday, the Department of Justice filed lawsuits against Maine, Washington, Oregon, and Massachusetts challenging their unconstitutional policies denying confidential license plates to federal agents. This comes after each state refused to rescind their unconstitutional policies in response to a prompt letter from the Department explaining the policies’ illegality.
Not only are these policies unconstitutional, but, as alleged in the complaint, these policies threaten the operational effectiveness and safety of federal agents who have faced a wave of targeted harassment. If federal agents cannot use confidential plates, dangerous individuals can track and evade law enforcement. There is no justification for states to deny confidential license plates to federal agents.
“This Department of Justice will exercise any and all lawful authorities to support the brave men and women of law enforcement,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “Law enforcement officers risk their lives every day to keep Americans safe and must be able to carry out their duties effectively. By denying undercover license plates to DHS components, including ICE, while issuing them to their own state agencies, these governors are pursuing discriminatory and obstructionist policies against federal law enforcement. These actions undermine federal immigration enforcement, allow dangerous criminals to escape justice, and terrorize American communities.”
“The Department of Justice will steadfastly protect the operational effectiveness and safety of law enforcement from these unconstitutional state policies,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division.
Acting Attorney General Blanche has instructed the Department’s Civil Division to identify state and local laws, policies, and practices that facilitate violations of federal laws or impede lawful federal operations. This lawsuit is the latest in a series of lawsuits brought by the Civil Division targeting illegal policies designed to thwart federal law enforcement across the country.